Medical News

A new study finds in sleep-deprived fruit flies, premature death is always preceded by the accumulation of reactive oxidative species in the gut. Antioxidant compounds that neutralize ROS allow sleep-deprived flies to have normal lifespans.

Harvard scientists have developed DNA-barcoded microbial spores that can be safely introduced onto objects and surfaces at a point of origin, such as a field or manufacturing plant, and be identified months later, to help trace problems like the source of foodborne illness.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Rakuten Medical, Inc. today announced a strategic alliance collaboration agreement to advance the development of new cancer therapies based on Rakuten Medical’s proprietary IlluminoxTM technology platform.

Human genetic diversity wouldn't be possible without DNA crossovers in egg and sperm cells. Two Harvard Medical School studies provide new insights into how crossovers go right--and wrong, leading to infertility, miscarriages and birth defects.

As outpatient centers, clinics and practices gradually resume seeing patients, they look a bit different in response to COVID-19. In addition to keeping patients and staff safe, these changes are also helping make health care more convenient and accessible.

The National Conference for Nurse Practitioners (NCNP) Virtual Summit 2020 will be held online June 19 and 20, featuring educational sessions relevant to advanced clinical practice and offering nurse practitioners the necessary tools to improve the overall quality of patient care.

Rakuten Medical, Inc. (Rakuten Medical) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) today announced a strategic alliance collaboration agreement to advance the development of new cancer therapies based on Rakuten Medical's proprietary Illuminox™ technology platform.

Researchers at Wake Forest School of Medicine have discovered that nicotine promotes the spread of lung cancer cells into the brain, where they can form deadly metastatic tumors. The study, which will be published June 4 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), suggests that nicotine replacement therapies may not be suitable strategies for lung cancer patients attempting to quit smoking. In addition, the researchers show that the naturally occurring drug parthenolide blocks nicotine-induced brain metastasis in mice, suggesting a potential therapeutic option in humans.

Chronic stress is associated with the pathogenesis of psychological disorders such as depression. A study is the first to identify the role of a neuronal receptor that straddles the intersection between social stress, inflammation, and anxiety in rodent models of stress. Findings suggest the possibility of developing better medications to treat the consequences of chronic stress by limiting inflammatory signaling not just generally, which may not be beneficial in the long run, but to specific brain circuits.

The COVID Research Program is rapidly enrolling patients from New Jersey, which has one of the world’s highest concentrations of COVID-19 patients. Atlantic Health System offers a study sponsored by TScan Therapeutics, Inc., a leading T cell therapeutics company in Waltham, Massachusetts, focused on identifying the precise way the human immune system recognizes and responds to infections like COVID-19 or other diseases, like cancers. TScan has developed a novel technology that enables them to identify the natural targets of T cells.

This week, tear gas and rubber bullets blinded at least two Americans and caused serious eye injuries in many others. Life-altering eye injuries are a common result of urban warfare and rioting, worldwide. The American Academy of Ophthalmology condemns this growing problem.

In a new study, researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have performed the most comprehensive characterization of elementary school-age concussions to date, revealing an opportunity to improve outcomes for this age group through more consistent visio-vestibular assessments at the initial health care visit.

A new mobile app can help clinicians determine which patients with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are likely to have severe cases. Created by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry, the app uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assess risk factors and key biomarkers from blood tests, producing a COVID-19 “severity score.”

To study the brain “in action,” researchers use a specialized form of brain imaging known as task-based functional MRI (task-fMRI), which shows how the brain responds to stimuli. While this technique can reveal much about the general workings of the average human brain, new research indicates that task-fMRI lacks the reliability to predict individual behavior or how a person might respond to mental-health therapies.

The jury’s still out on whether the use of marijuana may increase the risk of stroke. While several larger studies have found an increased risk, other studies have found no such increased risk. Adding to the debate is a new study that looked at recent marijuana use and risk of ischemic stroke published in the June 3, 2020, online issue of Neurology® Clinical Practice.

The PhRMA Foundation announced recipients of its 2020 Value Assessment Research Awards. $300,000 was awarded to three teams whose proposals put forward new, innovative strategies for assessing the value of medicines and health care services.

One of the first studies to investigate the outcome of COVID-19 infection in patients with blood cancer has been conducted by clinical researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust.

Patients undergoing surgery after contracting coronavirus are at greatly increased risk of postoperative death, a new global study published in The Lancet reveals. Researchers found that amongst SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who underwent surgery, mortality rates approach those of the sickest patients admitted to intensive care after contracting the virus in the community.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) has funded development of a handheld pediatric vision scanner that easily and accurately screens for amblyopia, or “lazy eye.” The device could facilitate earlier identification of children who need vision-saving treatment when therapy is likely to be more effective. It also could reduce unnecessary referrals to ophthalmologists.

Turning to a tub of ice cream after a break-up may be a cliché, but there's some truth to eating in response to negative emotions. Eating serves many functions - survival, pleasure, comfort, as well as a response to stress.

Irvine, Calif., June 3, 2020 — “We’re all in this together” is a commonly heard phrase during this global pandemic, as much of the world practices social distancing. And now researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other institutions have shown that there is some scientific validity to this assertion. In a study published today in Nature Human Behaviour, Chinese, European, American and British researchers demonstrate that the number of countries implementing COVID-19 lockdown measures – and the duration of those efforts – have a greater influence on the gross domestic products of nations than the severity of the restrictions.

A new survey conducted during the pandemic by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University found a more-than-threefold increase in the percentage of U.S. adults who reported symptoms of psychological distress—from 3.9 percent in 2018 to 13.6 percent in April 2020.

As health care facilities resume operations paused due to COVID-19, a new survey shows many people are reluctant to undergo procedures and may not reschedule necessary care while COVID-19 continues to circulate in communities. To help surgeons and hospitals address patient concerns, ACS has released a new resource document.

Researchers urge a moratorium on prescribing chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, with or without azithromycin, to treat or prevent COVID-19, and caution that the reassuring safety profile of hydroxychloroquine may be more apparent than real. Safety data derive from decades of prescriptions by clinicians, primarily for their patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, both of which are of greater prevalence in younger and middle age women, who are at very low risk of fatal heart outcomes due to hydroxychloroquine.

Yale Cancer Center scientists have identified mutations in metabolite-producing genes as a disruption of DNA repair. These mutation-driven “oncometabolites” may make cells more prone to developing cancer—but also more vulnerable to new cancer treatment strategies.

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is the body’s key stress response system. By driving production of the stress hormone cortisol, and then ensuring a return to baseline levels, the HPA axis regulates our reaction to stressful events. Chronic alcohol use, however, can lead to persistently elevated cortisol, reducing the body’s capacity to respond appropriately to stress. Among people in treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), the blunted stress response predicts risk of relapse and a return to drinking. Longer-term life stress, including childhood adversity, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and chronic stress, can also dampen HPA axis function, complicating interpretation of the alterations evident in people with AUD. However, it is not known how stress and trauma intereact with AUD to affect HPA-axis reactivity. A new report in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research by researchers from the universities of Texas, Florida, and Colorado addresses this issue, u

Xiaojun “Lance” Lian, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Penn State, has received a $500,000, five-year Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The University of Kentucky and ArtemiLife Inc. will collaborate on a clinical study using the extract of a medicinal plant grown in Kentucky to test for anti-cancer activity of Artemisia annua and to determine the recommended dose of Artemisia annua for future clinical trials.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure may cause menopause to occur two years earlier in women, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Many hospitals across the country have noticed an increase of people ignoring life-threatening symptoms. They are choosing to stay home, instead of seeking care at an emergency department. When they do arrive at the hospital, the patient has lost critical time to receive life-saving treatments.

June 3, 2020 –Today, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) announced a $500,000 donation from AstraZeneca to the ATS COVID-19 Crisis Fund, launched to support the Society’s all-encompassing efforts to fight COVID-19.

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa in Spain have created a test that determines which children with CAD deficiency—a rare metabolic disease—are likely to benefit from receiving uridine, a nutritional supplement that has dramatically improved the lives of other children with the condition. The study was published in Genetics in Medicine.

• The SAMBA II diagnostic device cuts COVID-19 test result times from over 24 hours to just two hours.
• First “real-world” study of SAMBA devices on hospital wards finds patient time on COVID ‘holding wards’ was almost halved.
• Researchers say faster tests helped free up beds and expedite access to life-saving treatments such as organ transplants – and might make all the difference later this year.

Distinguished nutrition educators from around the world will gather in a truly global event this summer as the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior hosts its 53rd Annual Conference entirely online.

Researchers have identified specific portions of the genetic codes of the COVID-19 and SARS viruses that may promote the viruses' lifecycles. The new technique is researchers' first tool for determining what genetic sequences stored as RNA - DNA's chemical cousin - are more stable.